Token holder



Aug. 14, 1923. 1,464,586 R. M. REID TOKEN HOLDER Filed Jan, 5 1921 A i Z /4 Patented Aug. 14, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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Application med January 3, 1821.

To allwhomit may comm:

Be it known that I, Roam M. REID, a citizen of the United States, residing at C'olorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State of Coloradn, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Token Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to token holders and the object of the invention 1s to provide a holder or container in which tokens such as coins or other metallic disks may be conveniently carried on the person and at the time readily dispensed when required. At the resent day it is common in many of the cities of the United States for street railways to charge as fares odd amounts such as six cents, six and o ne-half cents, seven cents, etc., thus requiring both passengers and conductors to handle odd chan In the case of the fractions of a cent, as or example, where two rides are sold for fifteen cents, it is impossible under our present coinage to make the exact change and hence has become the custom of some 0 the trapsportation companies to issue tokens which may be purchased in lots, for example two tokens for fifteen cents, three for twenty cents, or other combinations. 0 Frequently a reduced rate is oil'ered for buying in quantities, as for example, ten for seventy-five cents. Under such systems the tendency is for assengers to urchase in quantities, but the disadvantage om the passengers standpoint is that it r uires the keeping of a number of tokens w ich may become mixed with monetary coins in the pocket and hence causeconsiderable bother and confusion and delay. The object of my invention is to provide a magazine or holder in which such tokens ma be contained in quantities and from whic they may be instantly removed by a very simple manipulation. In the preferred design the coins or tokens may be delivered by the same hand which carries the holder.

I obtain my object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a general perspective view illustrating the manner of use of my holder.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the holder showing tokens in place.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33, Figure 2.

Serial No. 434,508.

Figure 4 is a cross section re 2 and igure 5 is a fragmentary perspective showing one manner of mounting the retam ng spring.

Like numerals denote like out the several views.

In the prefe ed form selected to illustrate the invention he device consists of a rectangular, double-faced container comprised of two strips 1 and 2 of glass, bakelite, celluloid or other transparent or semi-transparent material fastened to a central partition 3. Said partition is preferably of sheet metal, aluminum being desirable on account of ts lightness in weight and its ability to resist oxidation. A simple and advauta geous form of plate is illustrated, the same having an upturned flange 4 at one end and a downturned flange 5 at the other, these flanges engaging the ends of the glass strips and assisting to hold the latter firmly in po- Fi on the line 4-4,

parts throughsition. Studs 8 or other fastening devices may also be used for holding the parts assembled. The glass plates are internally rabbeted or chambered so as to leave a s ace between the inner surface and the partition 3 for the reception of the tokens 10. The dimensions of the chambers on the opposite sides of the partition are such as to retain the tokens and at the same time permit them to slide freely without jamming in a longitudinal direction.

At the delivery end of each late of glass a notch 12 is formedathe deptli of which is preferabl somewhat less than the diameter of the to en. ,its function is to permit the thumb of the user to engage the token for slippin it out of the open end of the magazine. t has been explained that the tokens are freely slidable in the magazines. I have provided means whereb the tokens are yielding] held within t e magazines and prevented from accidentally escaping from the open ends. These retaining means consist of springs 14 which may be constructed in various ways. A simple and desirable way of makin them, however, is here illustrated. In form the springs are U- shaped, the base 14 of the spring being at the inner end of the magazine in contact with the flange 4 of the plate 3. This base is held in position b a tongue 4 struck from the body of the plate, as best illustrated in Figure 5. The sides of the U extend from held in position by one end of the magazine to theother and at the forward or delivery and have inward bends 14" which yieldingly constrict the mouth of the opening and prevent the tokens from coming out by accident, but permit them to be removed upon exertion of a slight pressure by the thumb of the user. At the extreme end these springs desirably tiare outward slightly to enable the tokens to be easily slipped into the magazine for loading it. Hence it may be said that the springs have ogcc curves at the outer ends for the purpose of yieldingly retaining the coins, and yet permitting the magazine to be readily charged at the same end from which the tokens are delivered. The sides of the chambers serve as abutments for preventing the sides of the spring from springing outward. Thus the spring is securely the aid simply of the walls of the chamber the single lip 4 and the flanges 4 and 5.

In practice. the user fills the holder by sliding the tokens into one or both of the magazines. The size of the device will, of course, depend upon capacity and the size of the tokens to be used, but ordinarily the device is about the size of a pen knife and may be readily carried in the pocket. \Vhen a token is required the user simply tilts the rear end upward so that the token will slide to its mouth, whereupon the outmost token is exposed at the end slot 12 and the operator may readily place his thumb upon it and by slight movement deliver it from the device in spite of the yielding opposition of the spring 14". It will be noted that the device is duplex in the sense that two magazines are combined in a single device, one on each side of the partition plate 3. As the outer parts 1, 2 may see at a glance what supply of tokens he has on hand. The device makes a convenient pocket piece and efi'ectually segregates the tokens from any other coins or tokens which the user may have in his pocket. Although this device is well adapted for containing and dispensing street car tokens, it is of course, usable for coins, telephone slugs and similar disc-like articles.

are transparent the user Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A token holder having a central partition plate, cover plates coextensive with the partition plate and spaced therefrom to att'ord chambers for containing the tokens, the partition plate being Hanged in opposite directions at the end for forming end abutments for the cover plates, additional means for securing the threeplates together, the cover plates having slots at the end for atfording access to the end tokens, and means for yieldingly restricting the mouth of the chambers for preventing accidental escape of the tokens.

2. A token holder consisting of cover plates, a partition plate for properly spacing and separating them, flanged or bent in opposite directions at opposite ends to form end abutments for cover plates and to aid in holding springs in place, and also provided with tongues struck therefrom for holding springs in place, the cover plates being recessed on their inner surfaces to form chambers for holding rows of tokens, and being recessed at the open ends of the maga zine to allow access to the end tokens, and springs held by said means provided for them, curving inwardly at the respective open ends of chambers for yieldingly retaining the tokens.

3, A oc-ket container for tokens consisting o a partition plate having oppositely extending flanges at the ends and retaining tongues offset therefrom, oover plates coextensive with and suitably spaced from the artition plate to form chambers for boldmg rows of tokens and each having an end recessed for exposing a portion of the surface of a token to permit it to be discharged, and U-shaped springs having ogee curves at the outer ends for permitting the tokens to be inserted and removed from the same end of the holder, these U-shaped springs being held in position by flanges and tongues as shown.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ROBERT M. REID. 

